|
nice selection of entrees, side dishes, soups, salads and desserts
Heat-and-eat dishes include ratatouille, stuffed shells, lasagna and other pastas, stuffed cabbage, sausage and peppers,...
nice selection of entrees, side dishes, soups, salads and desserts
Heat-and-eat dishes include ratatouille, stuffed shells, lasagna and other pastas, stuffed cabbage, sausage and peppers, chicken, stuffed portobello mushrooms, garlic-mashed and au gratin potatoes and much more.
choices here can be overwhelming. The staff is helpful, though, and there is even a dietitian available to assist those with special dietary needs.
Hide
|
|
Butterfly serves everything that a Chinese restaurant should, whether your delight is something moo shoo or something egg foo. If you are interested in something beyond the basics, there are plenty...
Butterfly serves everything that a Chinese restaurant should, whether your delight is something moo shoo or something egg foo. If you are interested in something beyond the basics, there are plenty of interesting chef's specialties at Butterfly too. There's "Gemini," a dish with beef sauteed with orange sauce on one side and string bean on the other, or "Hawaii Five O," a plate of just about everything: lobster, jumbo shrimp, chicken, beef and vegetable.
Hide
|
|
paqrt of a chain
Chicken fajitas are a generous platter of grilled white meat, peppers and onions, accompanied by rice and beans, sour cream and guacamole and tortillas. Chipotle Glazed Chicken...
paqrt of a chain
Chicken fajitas are a generous platter of grilled white meat, peppers and onions, accompanied by rice and beans, sour cream and guacamole and tortillas. Chipotle Glazed Chicken Salad includes chicken, chipolte sauce, roasted corn, poblano and red peppers, grilled pineapple, sliced avocado and cilantro. The Baja Ensalada, available with choice of chicken, steak or shrimp, is a toss of romaine lettuce, Pico de Gallo and shredded cheese. Tortilla soup is hearty, spicy and dotted with chucks of fresh avocado and cilantro.
Burritos come in two sizes - regular, which is large enough for two, and "Dos Manos," which is huge. Fillings include various combinations of beans, rice, chicken, beef and veggies. Low carb-ers can order a "Bare Burrito," served sans tortilla.
Tacos are available with similar fillings and are topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa and diced tomato. For those who like to take it up a notch, Baja offers a help-yourself bar of salsas in mild, medium and hot; chopped fresh cilantro and mild and hot peppers.
A kid's menu includes mini burritos, quesadillas and nachos, and Baja Fresh also offers party packs feeding six or more.
Hide
|
|
There are good reasons why pizza rules in the world of takeout foods - it's fast, easy, universally appealing and even tastes good cold. One of the newer pizza emporiums in the Farmington Valley...
There are good reasons why pizza rules in the world of takeout foods - it's fast, easy, universally appealing and even tastes good cold. One of the newer pizza emporiums in the Farmington Valley area, Joe Pizza, offers a wide range of interesting pies, along with unusual appetizers and salads.
Pizzas emerge from the brick oven with smoky, chewy, charred crusts. The onion lover's pie is piled with caramelized onions and bacon. Spinach Patch pizza is topped with sautéed spinach, garlic and red peppers, all topped with fresh mozzarella. If you like seafood, try the pizza alla pescatore, made with shrimp, clams, squid, plum tomatoes, garlic and herbs.
Joe Pizza also offers grinders, sandwiches and pasta entrees, along with burgers that include topping choices of lettuce, fried onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, chipotle sauce and hot pepper relish at no extra charge.
Hide
|
|
bakery featuring fresh bread and pastries coupled with a cafe offering an extensive selection of hot meals, sandwiches and prepared foods sold by the pound provide a range of options for those...
bakery featuring fresh bread and pastries coupled with a cafe offering an extensive selection of hot meals, sandwiches and prepared foods sold by the pound provide a range of options for those nights you just don't feel like cooking. Such is the case at Truffles Bakery & Cafe in Canton - at least in theory.
Hide
|
|
Juniors
Category:
Restaurants
228 Albany Tpke
Canton, Connecticut 06019
(860) 693-8838
A funky, squat building between a package store and a Citgo station, Junior's looked pretty promising. Outside picnic tables are available for eating in warmer weather, and the side of the building...
A funky, squat building between a package store and a Citgo station, Junior's looked pretty promising. Outside picnic tables are available for eating in warmer weather, and the side of the building features a fiery painting of flames along with the words "flame-broiled burgers" and "hot dogs."
All told you can choose from among 13 burger options, and that doesn't include the veggie burger or the turkey burger. The Mexico burger, for instance, features cheddar cheese, sour cream, taco sauce, jalapeño peppers, olives and tomato, all on a hard roll.
Hide
|
|
"Keep it simple; keep it light; let the flavors of the food stand for themselves," is the motto. With a Mediterranean flair, main dishes like seared breast of duck with sun-dried blueberry demi-...
"Keep it simple; keep it light; let the flavors of the food stand for themselves," is the motto. With a Mediterranean flair, main dishes like seared breast of duck with sun-dried blueberry demi- glaze, cashew-crusted wild boar and floured and seared Dover sole with almandine sauce, all boast a blend of fresh herbs, including basil, rosemary, sage and garlic, staples of the regional cuisine.
Tapping into the season's freshest ingredients, I wasn't surprised that the fresh buffalo mozzarella and sliced tomato salad was a good choice to begin dinner. Eager to have a good grilled steak, I was more than happy with what I consider the "perfect" summer meal ... twin melt-in-your-mouth filet mignons grilled to a perfect "medium rare" pink, and a mélange of al dente steamed summer vegetables, topped with an edible lavender-tinged orchid. A dining partner raved about the seared tuna, prepared in a garlic, lemon and salt bath, then tossed with asiago cheese and served over a bed of pasta. Despite the generous portions, there were hardly any leftovers on our plates, a testament to our appetites and the good food.
Desserts are also made on the premises and include such delectable standards as fruit tartlets, chocolate bread pudding, fruit Napoleon and a variety of mousse cakes. A special summer ending, however, is the fresh sorbets, made from the season's sweetest fruits, including mango, one of my favorites.
The Grist Mill also offers an impressive wine list, including an interesting array of wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Austrailia, as well as more traditional selections from Germany, France and Italy.
Hide
|
|
The Wood-n-Tap in Farmington, sister to the popular Hartford eatery, may resemble your typical Chili's-Applebees-Ruby Tuesday, but don't be fooled. This neighborhood joint is the real deal. Oh sure,...
The Wood-n-Tap in Farmington, sister to the popular Hartford eatery, may resemble your typical Chili's-Applebees-Ruby Tuesday, but don't be fooled. This neighborhood joint is the real deal. Oh sure, you'll find all the typical offerings: burgers, fries, pizza and ribs. But everything is prepared far better than the same old franchise fare. Even the lemonade is homemade.
The atmosphere is clubby and cozy, with plenty of dark wood set off by bright yellow walls. There's a large plate-glass window at the far end of the dining room overlooking a small pond.
Bar bites are a fun way to start your meal. This platter of tiny hamburgers is served with cheese, Dijon sauce and a stack of tangy pickles. The menu boasts four variations on the classic 1/2 pounder of certified Black Angus: hickory-smoked with bacon and barbecue sauce; blue cheese and bacon; bacon and caramelized onions (do you detect a pattern here?); and sautéed mushrooms with Swiss cheese.
Not in the mood for a burger? There's pizza, though its congealed cheese topping and flaccid crust makes this a less-than-satisfying choice. The salads are far better. The Caesar features crisp Romaine tossed with creamy dressing and Parmesan cheese. The California Cobb is a colorful stunner for both the eye and the palate: fresh greens, red onion, black olives, avocado slices, chopped egg and bacon. Try it with the delicious honey-mustard dressing.
Except for the salads, many of which contain chicken or bacon, the vegetarian choices are limited. There's a decent veggie wrap, stuffed with lettuce, avocado, olives and onions, and a tasty vegetable burrito. But I know some non-carnivorous types who routinely make a meal out of the Wood-n-Tap's sweet potato fries. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, they are just about perfect. In fact, don't make the mistake of ordering the Tap Room fries. These imposters have been gussied up with a cloying sugar glaze, an unnecessary distraction.
The zippy barbecued ribs garnered raves, but the portion is gargantuan. Only consider ordering them if you don't mind doggie bags.
Desserts, while a notch above the standard chain fare, are not really worth the calories. In fact, the sweetest part of our meal was our waitress. Her friendliness was genuine, just like everything else about the Wood-n-Tap.
Hide
|
|
The restaurant is formal without being stuffy and the menu reflects that. Sure, there are dishes considered daring four decades ago - when's the last time you saw baked escargot among appetizer...
The restaurant is formal without being stuffy and the menu reflects that. Sure, there are dishes considered daring four decades ago - when's the last time you saw baked escargot among appetizer offerings? But there also are innovative selections that would be at home in the trendiest bistro. Pan-seared, potato-crusted Atlantic salmon in a pinot noir beurre blanc with melted leeks, and grilled pork tenderloin with shiitake mushrooms, tomato spoon bread and a fresh herb demi-glace show the contemporary side of a menu that changes regularly.
The plates match the beauty of the location. A special salad of iceberg lettuce, crisp smoked bacon, ripe tomatoes and a creamy dressing looked enticing and tasted even better. "Just like a BLT," advises our waiter and once again, he proved correct. A creamy tomato and vegetable soup was rich and smooth, the perfect antidote to the chilly night. The swordfish was succulent and fresh. Even the accompaniments to the main dishes were carefully considered - no spray sprigs of parsley or quick drizzles of sauce here. The slender grilled asparagus spears and meaty fingerling potatoes sharing a plate with the fish, for instance, would have made a tasty meal on their own.
Desserts include all the expected players - crème brûlée, warm chocolate cake and a selection of sorbets. They are all done well, especially the warm chocolate cake with a molten center that oozes out when the crust is pierced.
The experience isn't cheap - quality rarely is - but for a special occasion, or an ordinary weeknight, Apricots is worth the splurge.
Hide
|
|
This Taste of India excels at vegetarian dishes. Too many restaurants treat vegetarian dishes as the stepchildren of the menu. Here, the vegetarian dishes are among the best we sample. The Malai...
This Taste of India excels at vegetarian dishes. Too many restaurants treat vegetarian dishes as the stepchildren of the menu. Here, the vegetarian dishes are among the best we sample. The Malai Kofta are buoyant, feathery balls of minced vegetables. Perfectly cooked and delicately shaped, these dumplings sit half-submerged in a cream sauce. Though mild, the sauce is subtly flavored by the deft use of spices. The sauce's appealingly velvety texture is a nice foil to the nubbly vegetable balls. I'm wowed by the saag paneer. This classic dish of stewed spinach strewn with tiles of homemade farmer's cheese is excellent. The flavor is bright, as is the color, and you come away with a sense the dish was just made and not kept sitting in a steam tray. I love the creaminess of the spinach and the firm bite of the tofu-like cheese.
Desserts are uneven. The gulab jamun or fried cheese balls are some of the best ever. Feathery-light, delicately textured, these balls arrive warm and impregnated with sweet syrup. Contrast this to the grayish rice pudding known as kheer. It looks like gruel. The ras malai are snowy white patties of cheese that have a texture and a bracing quality similar to feta cheese. A sweet cream sauce softens and soothes the dessert. The pistachio ice cream is disappointingly watery.
Service at Taste of India is friendly to the point of being playful. That's nice. What's equally important is having some professional snap behind the smile. The pace of the kitchen and dining room is wobbly on a weeknight. On a busy Saturday, forget it.
Hide
|